Now, five years later and the mother of a healthy toddler, Monica is seeking justice for herself - and for Jacob.

A nurse walked into Monica Thompson's room, gave her the baby and left her unattended around 3 a.m., while she was medicated with Ambien and Vicodin, the lawsuit says.

Adding, '... She poked him and talked to him with no reaction.

"When no nurse came to help, Mrs Thompson carried her son to the hallway and frantically yelled for help". When doctors there determined he'd suffered catastrophic brain damage and would not regain consciousness, he was removed from life support, according to Conde. The spokesperson also did not comment about the hospital's policy on newborns and bed sharing.

Thompson "unintentionally suffocated her baby boy, causing him severe and permanent brain damage", according to the lawsuit.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says babies should never share a bed with parents, and no pillows, sheets, blankets or other items should be in a baby's bed.

Portland Adventist Medical Center spokeswoman Kristi Spurgeon Johnson called it a "tragic situation" and said that "our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family". She said they were unable to provide any additional information at the time.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of both Monica Thompson and baby Jacob also stated the newborn may have been subjected to substantial pain when his ribs were broken while CPR was being administered at the Portland Adventist Medical Center.

While the tragedy of Jacob's death can't be underscored, some commentators on the web wondered how it was even possible the mother was able to breastfeed while on narcotics in the first place, implying it was her own fault and not the medications that led to her smothering the boy.

Monica Thompson, 42, gave birth to a healthy baby boy via C-section on August 2 in 2012.

"Jacob suffocated under his mother while she was under the influence of narcotics and sleep aids", her lawsuit reads.

They also recommend placing babies in the same room where the parents sleep but not the same bed, breastfeeding as much and as for long as mothers can (reduces risks of SIDS), keeping babies away from smokers and places where people smoke, and keeping the baby at comfortable temperatures as hot temperatures increase the risk of SIDS.

Wisconsin father and daughter drown in Lake Suprior
His condition is non-life threatening. "That's why we issue those warning, but sometimes people aren't aware of what's going on". First responders ran down the beach as a firefighter pulled the girl to shore and firefighters gathered around her to start CPR.